The Top 10 Grossing Tom Cruise Movies

Tom Cruise movies sure has raked in the cash at the box office over the years.

Say what you want about Tom Cruise movies, but the actor seemingly holds a box office record which eclipses most other stars in Hollywood. Since the mid 80s his movies - increasingly action-thrillers - have broken records, taking staggering amounts worldwide and making him one of the most bankable stars of the last 30 years. Tom Cruise's latest movie, Edge of Tomorrow, has so far grossed over $239 million worldwide, which is an impressive amount, but it’s nothing to write home about for the 51-year-old. To prove the actor's box office power, we’ve counted the receipts and compiled a list of the 10 highest grossing Tom Cruise movies of all time, at the worldwide box office and no, Edge of Tomorrow did not make the cut.

You might have thought that by the time the Mission Impossible series was on its fourth instalment the franchise would have lost some momentum. But when Ghost Protocol came along, 15 years after Ethan Hunt’s first adventure, the movie managed to exceed all expectations, both critically and commercially. Taking over $694million worldwide, Ghost Protocol is the highest-grossing movie in the Mission: Impossible series, while also being Tom Cruise's biggest worldwide money-maker.

War of the World is the second highest Tom Cruise movie

2. War of the Worlds (2005) $591,745,540

The combination of Cruise, Steven Spielberg and the writings of H.G. Wells proved to be box office gold when War of the Worlds invaded theatres in 2005, taking $200million in just 24 days. The film was also a critical success earning positive reviews across the board, from all, except the Razzie awards committee who nominated Cruise as the year’s worst actor.

Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible II

3. Mission Impossible II (2000) $546,388,105

Brian De Palma handed over directorial duties to John Woo for Mission Impossible’s second instalment, but the change behind the camera didn't affect the box office, with the sequel surpassing its predecessor. Is it the worst Mission Impossible movie? Maybe, but with over $546million in box office receipts, Tom Cruise probably wasn't too worried.

Ethan Hunt’s debut mission broke records upon its release in 1996 including becoming the highest grossing movie to open on a Wednesday. Ever the savvy business man, Tom Cruise deferred his usual $20 million fee for a significant percentage of the box office, meaning he got a nice cut of the over $457 million the movie raked in at the worldwide box office.

Fifth on the list of top grossing Tom Cruise movies is The Last Samurai

5. The Last Samurai (2003) $456,758,981

Set in 1876, Cruise stars as a American officer who trains with samurai solders rebelling against the Emperor. While the movie was well received in the United States it fared even better in Japan, where it was positively received by critics and audiences, significantly pushing up it's worldwide box office numbers.

Mission Impossible III is sixth on the list of top grossing Tom Cruise movies

6. Mission Impossible III (2006) $397,850,012

This time JJ Abrams took the Mission Impossible reigns making his directorial debut. Cruise also took more control behind the scenes, serving as producer alongside his former agent Paula Wagner. While still a box office success, Mission Impossible III had a considerably weaker box office run than its predecessors, taking under $400 million, far less than had been predicted.

Minority Report just missed out on the Top 5 of the top grossing Tom Cruise movies

7. Minority Report (2002) $358,372,926

For over a decade friends Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg had been looking for a project on which to work together. Then came Minority Report, a complicated thriller set in 2054 which proved to be the perfect project for a Cruise/Spielberg collaboration. The film was critically acclaimed, receiving numerous award nominations and topping many critic’s lists of the year's best movies.

Thought Top Gun would be higher on the list of top grossing Tom Cruise movies? Us too.

8. Top Gun (1986) $356,830,601

The role that transitioned Tom Cruise from actor to movie star became the highest grossing film of 1986 and remains one of his best remembered performances. Although the critical reaction at the time was mixed, Top Gun was filled with enough memorable quotes and one very over played song to guarantee it a spot in movie history and many, many spoofs.

It may not be the highest grossning, but 'Rain Man' could the best Tom Cruise movie

9. Rain Man (1988) $354,825,435

The 1988 best picture Oscar winner, Rain Man also performed well at the box office, becoming 1988’s highest grossing movie. While it was Hoffman who walked away with all the accolades, Cruise earned praise for his performance as Charlie, proving the young actor's worth as a dramatic performer.

Jerry Maguire sneaked into the Top 10 grossing Tom Cruise movies

10. Jerry Maguire (1996) $273,552,592

Tom, who is still yet to win an Academy Award, received his second Oscar nomination for his portrayal of sport's agent Jerry Maguire. The film had a relatively small budget of $50 million, but it ended up taking over five times as much worldwide, eventually becoming the fourth highest grossing romantic comedy of all time.

So there we have the Tom Cruise movies that topped the box-office - but which do you think is his finest work?